IDF says Hamas commander involved in Oct. 7 attack and hostage captivity killed in Gaza

Jandiya led a Hamas Nukhba terrorist cell that infiltrated Kibbutz Nahal Oz during the Oct. 7 massacre and took part in the abduction of the late Capt. Daniel Perez.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

The Israel Defense Forces and Shin Bet announced Friday that Muhammad Na’im Jandiya, the head of military security for Hamas’ Shuja’iyya Battalion, was killed in an airstrike in the Gaza Strip, identifying him as a participant in the Oct. 7 attack and a senior operative involved in holding Israeli hostages.

According to the IDF, Jandiya led a Hamas Nukhba terrorist cell that infiltrated Kibbutz Nahal Oz during the Oct. 7 massacre and took part in the abduction of the late Capt. Daniel Perez.

The military said Jandiya remained active throughout the war, most recently helping plan terrorist attacks against Israeli forces operating in Gaza.

Israeli officials also said he oversaw the captivity of hostages Yotam Chaim, Samer Al-Talalka, and Alon Shamriz, who were held in an underground tunnel used by Hamas’ Shuja’iyya Battalion.

The operation is the latest in an Israeli campaign targeting terrorists the military says participated in the Oct. 7 massacre or were involved in holding Israeli hostages.

Earlier this week, the IDF and Shin Bet said they killed Talal Jaber Mohammad Abd al-Aal, an Islamic Jihad commander who, according to the military, commanded a terrorist cell that infiltrated Israel on Oct. 7 and later participated in holding Israeli hostages in southern Gaza.

The military also announced the killing of Muhammad Fathi Abd al-Hai Abu Fakhr, commander of Hamas’ Yabna Battalion in Rafah.

According to the IDF, Abu Fakhr had recently been rebuilding the battalion’s operational capabilities, recruiting new terrorists, and working to restore Hamas’ military infrastructure after months of fighting. The military also said he had long been involved in smuggling weapons into the Gaza Strip.

The IDF said it will continue operations throughout Gaza aimed at eliminating terrorist threats, dismantling Hamas’ military infrastructure, and targeting those it says were responsible for the Oct. 7 massacre and the ongoing captivity of Israeli hostages.